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Nokia says N73, N93 and N93i won't be N-Gage compatible
Tough news for N73, N93 and N93i owners -- a respected N-Gage Arena Forum moderator has just stepped forward to let the world know that the aforesaid phones will not be N-Gage compatible. For folks who've moved on to newer, more powerful handsets, we're sure this tidbit means nothing; for those who've held tight to prior promises to bring the N-Gage experience to this trio, it's far more detrimental. We're told that Nokia tried for months on end to make it all work, but in the end they simply weren't satisfied with the experience on these aged devices. No need to tear up though, it's just the perfect excuse to line up for that N97 you've been eying.[Via All About Symbian]
The 2006 Engadget Awards: Vote for Smartphone of the Year
Now's your chance to cast your ballot for the 2006 Smartphone of the Year! Our Engadget Awards nominees are listed below, and you've got until 11.59PM EST on Sunday, April 15th to file your vote. You can only vote once, so make it count, and may the best tech win! The nominees: BlackBerry Pearl, HTC Hermes / 8525, Motorola Q, Nokia N93, Palm Treo 750, and Sony Ericsson P990. %Poll-339%
FCC checks out the Nokia N93i
In the most official confirmation we've seen to date, the alleged Nokia N93i has hit the FCC (true, the pictures appear to identify it as an "N00," but we somehow doubt that's its go-to-market model number). All told, the device appears to be a fairly modest upgrade to the N93 it replaces, bearing the same 3.2 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens with optical zoom that dominated its predecessor's hinge. Sadly, we've been able to glean very little about the mirrored exterior -- we still can't tell whether there's a display under there somewhere, though the Get Started guide makes reference to a "cover indicator" that's only visible when there are missed calls, messages, and the like. Perhaps most interesting is the RAZR-like etched keypad, one small concession to fashion made by a company that's now famous for not bowing to industry pressure to make ultra-thin handsets. No word on a release, but given the lack of GSM 850 and UMTS 850 / 1900, we're meeting this one with tempered excitement. Cingular, care to make it worth Nokia's while to pump out a version for us?
Hands-on with the Nokia N93
In the mobile world, there are phones... and then there are phones. Those who have seen the N93 from Nokia in person know that it falls squarely in the latter category. In fact, we'd go so far as to say that the term "phone" really doesn't do it justice; its generous dimensions come close to that of a small camcorder. It's no surprise, then, that that's pretty much how Nokia's selling it: as a video camcorder that (oh, by the way) just happens to have a phone built in. That's all well and good -- after all, video recording is the next logical step now that cameras have infiltrated virtually every cellphone, right? -- but can it pull off the dual personality without serving either role poorly? Now that the US has been getting a pretty good stream of these bad boys filtering in, we thought it was a question we had to ask.
More candid shots of Nokia's N93i
N93 owners, you may want to avert your eyes here -- especially those of you still paying off your credit card balances (you know who you are) who get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach at the mere suggestion that a successor to your hard-earned "multimedia computer" is already around the corner. The evidence that the N93i is real gets stronger seemingly by the day, and here we have our best evidence yet: a pair of somewhat clear pictures depicting a superphone that has been slightly retooled from its predecessor, exchanging a somewhat ordinary-looking exterior for a mirrored finish. The interior shot also clearly identifies this as an N93i, something we couldn't confirm from our last glance. Unfortunately, the details stop there, though it'd been previously suggested that A2DP and S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 are logical inclusions for an upgraded model. Between this and the utterly mind-boggling N95, 2007 looks to be an interesting year for the S60 fanboys and fangirls among us, eh?[Via Slashphone]
Nokia working on N93 successor?
If we were to pinpoint a couple models in Nokia's lineup most desperately needing a refresh, the N93 wouldn't be among them. After all, the beastly superphone has been kicking around for just a handful of months (in users' hands, anyway) and we wouldn't say the specs are looking long in the tooth just yet. Alas, blurry shots have emerged of a phone being called the "N93i," looking altogether like a mildly facelifted version of its predecessor. No official word on what specs might be packed into that attractive shell, but high on the list of possibilities are A2DP and an upgrade to S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1.[Via Slashgear]
Vodafone to bundle Mission: Impossible III with Nokia N93
If you're not already streaming movies to your less-than-ideal mobile display, or still toting that awkward Sharp 905SH to pick up Japanese TV broadcasts, Vodafone has an offer sure to make anyone any remaining Tom Cruise fans happy. Reportedly part of a holiday promotion to get more Nokia N93's in the hands of consumers, Vodafone will be including "a copy of Mission: Impossible III" on a 512MB miniSD card with the purchase of the N93 (and presumably a lengthy contract). The film will supposedly "run at 25fps" and support "rewind, fast forward, stop and resume, just like a proper DVD." The most intriguing bit, however, isn't the fact that a free half-gigabyte miniSD card sounds entirely more appealing than a played-out action film, but "you can also offload the flick onto your PC, and use the card for your own movies afterwards." Regardless of who seemingly gave Vodafone the thumbs-up to deliver the major motion picture sans DRM, we're just waiting in tense anticipation to see this unhampered goodness hit elsewhere.
Nokia N93 ships stateside
Our enthusiasm for Nokia's biggie-sized N93 smartphone has died down a bit on news of 1) the N95 that somehow manages to outdo it spec-for-spec, and 2) the N75, which gives us long-overdue UMTS 850 / 1900 on a S60 device. Nonetheless, Nokia USA is looking to see if it can't push a couple of the 3.2-megapixel video cameras (that just happen to have a phone built in) out the door alongside the E70. At $700 unlocked, S60 3rd Edition dominance isn't cheap, but the N93 fits the bill when you absolutely, positively must have the biggest flip phone in the room -- just be prepared to come up a bit short on reception, seeing how it lacks GSM 850.[Thanks, Scott]
The N93 and K800 shootout for best camera quality
There's an old saying that the best camera is the one that you have with you, and it's no surprise to see the camera phone phenomenon take off so rapidly within the last half-decade since everyone seems to carry their phone with them. Until recently, the convenience of a camera with your phone has distracted people from the generally low quality output that camphones produce, but now that Sony Ericsson has stuck the CyberShot brand onto the K800, and Nokia has produced the N93, a phone that has a distinctly camcorder style design, consumers are expecting more from their shooters. Luckily for us, Fosfor Gadgets has compared the quality of the pictures from these flagship camera phones so that we don't have to. The verdict is that both have good cameras, but the K800 comes on top thanks to a decent flash, better output (less noise, more detail), and a simpler camera mode (just pull back the lens cover). The N93 has the advantage of a 3x optical zoom where the K800 has none, but the camcorder style design is cumbersome, and the absence of a flash makes it unusable at parties -- which may or may not be a good thing, depending on how much you want to regret in the morning.
Nokia E70, N93 semi-officially available in US
Besides opening their second flagship store this side of the pond, Nokia had a couple other tricks up their sleeve in preparation for what has turned out to be an exciting weekend for Nokia fanboys of the American persuasion -- namely, the US releases of the E70 and N93. We can personally attest that E70s have been quietly flying off shelves of the Chicago outpost (see picture above) for the past week or so; Nokia's been unable to keep them in stock, in fact, though we don't know whether the release was supposed to have been synched with New York's grand opening today. At any rate, the model being sold is the US-friendly E70-2 variant that swaps out 3G support in favor of a GSM 850 radio, and features a black face that (in our humblest of opinions) looks better than its European counterpart. Meanwhile, the N93 is the same ol' model Europe gets, lacking 850; caveat emptor for peeps with marginal 1900 coverage. Oddly, these handsets are both still listed as "coming soon" on Nokia USA's website, and rumor has it that they may never officially be released here outside the flagship facilities, so book your flights now, folks -- they say the Midwest and the East Coast are nice this time of year.
Nokia releases N73 and N93 "multimedia computers"
Even if you're a die-hard Palm or Windows Mobile fan, it's hard to deny the appeal of Nokia's N-series lineup of S60-powered "multimedia computers," whose connectivity and imaging options are some of the best you can find on a smartphone today. As promised, the company has just officially released both the N73 (pictured, bottom) and N93 (pictured, top) handsets that we've been following for some time, and although you probably won't be able to pick them up through traditional channels, we know that they'll definitely be available at your local Nokia retail outlet. As a quick refresher, both of the phones (we know, we know, we're not supposed to call them phones) are highlighted by 3.2 megapixel, Zeiss lens-equipped cameras, with the N93 throwing in a 3x optical zoom and support for 30fps VGA video. Both models also feature high-res 2.4-inch displays, Bluetooth radios, a miniSD slot for image capture or rocking tunes, and quad-band GSM plus 3G UMTS capability. On top of all these attractive features, the N93 also gives you built-in WiFi with UPnP functionality, video out for replaying your precious memories on a big screen, and what sounds like better-than-average in-camera editing. We're still gonna stick with our current smartphones for now, but these models are so hot that we're seriously reconsidering our snobby insistence on rocking those handy QWERTY thumboards at all times.Read- N73Read- N93[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nokia N93 gets put through its paces
With S60 3rd Edition, UMTS, a 3.2 megapixel camera with optical zoom, WiFi, miniSD slot, and QVGA display, Nokia's N93 dual-pivot clamshell pretty much does it all -- at the cost of some considerable bulk, that is. Mobile-review had a chance to spend some quality time with the beast, and if you can get past the portly 188 grams of mass in your pocket, they appear to come away liking the device for all that it does. As flimsy as it may look, we're told the stalk connecting the display to the remainder of the phone is rock-solid: "Even if you shake the phone with all your strength, there is no way the halves will move towards each other." Triband GSM plus UMTS 2100 make the N93 a tough sell in the States, but everyone else seeking out a worthy N90 replacement can expect Nokia's latest superphone to drop this month for around €600 ($765).
Nokia's N93 caught in the wild
Hot on the heels of Nokia's N93 announcement are some shots of this camcorder/phone in the wild. Japanese site PlusD Mobile has plenty of snaps but little in the way of review commentary on Nokia's new flagship N-series phone expected to drop for some €550/$690 in July. So kick back, and feast on the eye-candy for a few until we can nab ya'll some actual MPEG-4 recordings from this pup. Then we'll see if Nokia's plan to take a bite out of the camcorder (and DAP player) bidness in the same way cellphones have kicked alarm clocks, wrist watches, and low-end digitalcams to the curb, is for realz. The N93 is certainly capable given its relative size (to a camcorder) and fact that it packs in a 3.2 megapixel Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with image stabilization, microSD expansion, big 2.4-inch fold-out display, and the ability to pump video down the TV-out jack or over WiFi to any UPnP capable device. Ogle more pics after the break.[Via Slashphone]
Nokia to open US retail stores, offer high-end phones
Taking a cue from other design-obsessed companies such as Apple and Sony, Nokia has announced plans to open a line of retail locations in the U.S. -- the first ones outside Russia and perhaps Finland that we're aware of -- and even better, will be offering models not available from carriers or traditional channels. The flagship store is set to open in Chicago on June 21, and will sell "virtually anything that could possibly be available in this market," according to a Nokia spokesperson, including such high-end handsets as the recently-launched N93 and N73 3.2 megapixel cameraphones, N91 4GB musicphone, and UMTS-enabled N80 smartphone (which happens to sport a three megapixel CCD as well). PC Mag's article on the upcoming stores, the second of which is scheduled to hit New York before the end of the year, also includes an update on the N91, which will apparently receive a key software upgrade sometime after launch that enables playback of DRM-protected content.Update: Several readers have very kindly pointed out that Nokia has stores in much of Europe and Asia.
Nokia to release N73 and more in Berlin next week?
We can't say Reuters hasn't ever been on the wrong end of a rumor before, but they do add a bit more legitimacy than some anonymous forum poster that talks in leetspeak. The dirt is that Nokia is all set to release that recently leaked N73 smartphone, along with a few other "multimedia phones" (N93 anyone?) to sweeten the deal. It's all supposed to go down next week in Berlin, according to "sources close to the company." April 25th seems to be the target, but the buzz doesn't sound good for the phones size-wise, which are reportedly moving towards more "realistic" sizes, but aren't going for broke in the slim arena, which Nokia seems to see as a bit of a fad. Sure, the RAZR might've sold a few units, but Nokia has managed to keep their margins up, and the N70 of theirs managed to pull down 10 percent of the 3G market all by its lonesome.
